View full sizeDalton Prout was named a Spirit alternate captain Wednesday

SAGINAW — The best wasn’t good enough for the Saginaw Spirit

Through the weekend’s games, the Spirit had one of the best defenses in the league on paper: its 110 goals against was the fewest in the Western Conference, and Saginaw boasted the league’s best penalty kill and power play.

Still, Spirit management had a defensive upgrade on their wish list heading into Monday’s league trade deadline. In the 24 hours before the deadline, the Spirit added defensemen Dalton Prout from Barrie and Brandon Archibald from Sault Ste. Marie.

Spirit GM and coach Todd Watson said he had hoped to add another forward, and that the team may have “overcompensated” on the defensive end, but was happy overall with his trade deadline.

“We didn’t add a forward,” Watson said. “We went over the top with what we added on the defense.”

The new-look defensive corps made its debut Wednesday night in the Spirit’s home game against the Plymouth Whalers. The Spirit will travel to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday before returning home Saturday for a game against the Kitchener Rangers.

Prout is a 6-foot-3, 217-pound 20-year old with 21 points in 23 games. The Spirit announced Wednesday that Prout has been named an alternate captain. Archibald is 6-foot-4 and 197 pounds, with 19 points in 27 games. Both add size, physical play and an offensive upside to Saginaw’s blue line.

Even though the trade deadline has passed, the Spirit roster might not be set. With only 12 forwards, Watson said he’s looking to add a 13th. The team has one player card left, meaning it can still add a full-time player from its system or through free agency before the league’s Feb. 10 roster deadline.

In the last month, the Spirit have added three defensemen all expected to play in the top six: Ben Chiarot, Archibald and Prout.

Prout knows what a top-level OHL defensive group looks like; he was part of one last year with the Barrie Colts in their run to the OHL finals.

“From what I see the caliber of the team and the defense corps had last year, everybody brings something different to the table,” Prout said. “From what it seems this team has that. Hopefully we can to go the finals too.”

Injury Report

For the second straight week, the Spirit don’t expect anyone to miss games because of injury, Watson said Tuesday. Forward Micky Sartoretto finished serving an eight-game suspension Sunday and will be available this week.

Busy week for top prospects

Spirit forwards Brandon Saad and Vincent Trocheck will participate in the CHL Top Prospects game Jan. 18-19 in Toronto. That will make for a busy next week: the two will play in the Spirit game Monday in Plymouth, the skills competition Tuesday, the top prospects game Wednesday, and three more Spirit road games on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. In all, Saad and Trocheck will play in five games and the skills competition in a span of seven days.